upon all sides: and an unseemly groaning arose from them,[1] their heads being stricken, and the whole pavement bubbled with blood. Thus did we perish, O Agamemnon, whose bodies even now lie without funeral rites in the palace of Ulysses: for our friends do not yet know in the dwellings of each, who, having washed the black gore from our wounds, laying us down would mourn for us: for this is the honour of the dead."
And him the soul of the son of Atreus addressed in turn: "O happy son of Laertes, much-contriving Ulysses, surely didst thou gain thy wife with great valour. How excellent was the mind of blameless Penelope, daughter of Icarus, how mindful of Ulysses, her virgin husband: unto whom the glory of his virtue shall never perish; but the immortals will make for those on earth a beautiful song for prudent Penelope. Not so did the daughter of Tyndarus contrive evil deeds, slaying her virgin husband: but [for her] there will be a hateful song amongst men; and she has given an evil fame to women, even though one be a worker of good." Thus they spoke such things to one another, standing in the houses of Pluto, under the hiding-places of the earth.
But they, when they went from the city, soon reached the beautiful-constructed farm of Laertes, which Laertes had himself acquired, since he had toiled very much: there was his house, and a shed[2] ran round it on all sides, in which his necessary servants fed, and sat, and took rest, who worked what was agreeable to him.[3] And in it there was a Sicilian old woman, who diligently took care of the old man at the farm, away from the city. Then Ulysses spoke words to his servants and his son:
"Do you now go within the well-built house; and quickly sacrifice a meal of swine, whichever is the best. But I will try my father, whether he will know me, and perceive me with his eyes, or whether he will not recognise me, having been away for a long time."
Thus having spoken, he gave his warlike arms to his servants. They then quickly came to the house; but Ulysses
- ↑ The suitors.
- ↑ Ernesti observes that the house of Laertes stood in the middle, being surrounded by the slighter dwellings of the slaves, forming a continuous shed. See Loewe.
- ↑ These words are an epexegesis to ἀναγκαῖοι. But the Schol. Ambr. interprets ἀναγκαῖοι to mean "taken in war, captured by force."
